How to avoid queues at the airport

Arrive at an airport and find a queue. A classic! It seems practically impossible to avoid queues at the check-in counter, at security controls, in cafeterias, at boarding... And when we talk about very special dates, the drama is still accentuated. But there are ways to avoid queues at airports. They are small actions that can help you avoid those annoying queues that test your patience and can give you the feeling of an absolute waste of your time. We give you some recommendations that will surely help you.

Luggage, the fair
If your trip is for work or business, you are surely used to online check -in . Well, done, it's a very important first step. If you don't practice it, we highly recommend it. You will save kilometers of waiting, especially in times of high influx of passengers, at the counters of the company with which you fly. You should be aware that the lack of airline ground crews often leads to more waiting. Therefore, the option of carrying your ticket comfortably on your mobile or printed will give you a break from that first bump.

Whether your trip is for business or vacation, always try to avoid checked baggage. You will skip the queue at the check-in counter, on the one hand, and the baggage claim queue, on the other.

Being farsighted does not always pay off
You may come to think: 'I'll go to the airport earlier and that way I'll avoid last-minute queues'. Yes, it could be true, but it is proven that people tend to arrive at the airport much earlier than they should. As a consequence of this practice, very often there are long queues for flights that leave two or three hours later. In summary: you don't have to arrive much before your flight (do not apply the 'just in case' rule) nor do you have to arrive when the last minute sounds on the public address system. call of your flight and you have to do the 200 meter obstacles through the terminal.

Remember that on domestic flights the recommendation is to arrive at the airport an hour before, approximately; on international flights, the forecast increases up to an hour and a half. In other words: not because you get up early, the sun rises earlier.

The state of the traffic and your flight
Airports, in general, are not usually close to home. And, sometimes, to get to them you already have to overcome a series of traffic challenges and various logistics. First of all, before leaving home, find out about the status of your flight. It would not be the first case of a passenger arriving at the airport and discovering that their flight has been canceled or that it is considerably delayed. The websites of the airports and/or the company with which you travel are a very reliable source of information, as are the notices through the mobile applications of the companies. A piece of advice in case of cancellation: carry out the process by phone or online instead of queuing for hours at a company counter. It is much more comfortable and faster, and above all less stressful.

If so far everything is correct and normal, you can go to the airport to catch your flight. To get there, check the state of the traffic , if you are going by private vehicle or by taxi, or the public transport network. If you can avoid peak hours, you will save arrival time and unnecessary traffic jams. If you choose the park&Go option , you will be sure that the process of arrival, parking and transfer to the terminal has guaranteed Swiss punctuality.

Bet on flexibility
If you have the option of making your travel days more flexible , do so without hesitation. As on the roads in departure and return operations, at airports there are especially complicated days, with a lot of passenger movement (Christmas and summer holidays, long weekends, parties in other countries...). If you can get around those days, it will be a decisive step to save time and avoid unnecessary queues. Despite this, there are times when we will not be able to have flexible dates (for reasons of work, family, etc.): then it will be time to be patient and try to endure the wait with the best possible humor.

The 'premium' option
We call the services offered by some airlines to their travelers a 'premium' option: by paying a supplement you can get priority access, either upgrading your flight or obtaining a special pass (the so-called fast lane) when boarding or leaving. pass the security check. Although it is an option that is conditioned by the purchasing power of each pocket, it does not hurt to weigh it when it comes to avoiding unnecessary queues. Ask yourself the question: Would I be willing or willing to pay a little more to save 30-40 minutes in line (to give a fairly common example)? Think about it, maybe it's worth it.

The dreaded security check
For a few years now, security controls have been tightened at airports. Do you remember the attacks in the United States of 2001? That's where it all started. Be that as it may, the controls are there and they are necessary to guarantee our safety. That being said, a very sensible piece of advice and one that we can often not think about. It is advisable to avoid any type of element that, in a security control, could give us problems and, above all, could make us lose time, for example, belts or other metallic objects. The fact of removing them and putting them back on will generate loss of time and stress. Obviously, if you have previously checked that everything you carry in your hand luggage is capable of boarding the plane, you will optimize the passage time.

And another piece of advice: have all the necessary documentation on hand to make the most accelerated step.

With everything we have explained to you, you can save a lot of time when it comes to traveling to the airport and doing all the internal procedures to arrive punctually and calmly for your flight. Even so, there will be days and times when the queues will be absolutely unpredictable. Before them, patience and good humor.